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Ready to upgrade to pole-pano

I have a D300s with 10.5mm fisheye which I currently use with a R10 and RD4. I have started working in wetlands where the vegetation can be up to 7 feet tall. I thought a pole panorama would be a good way to record each of our study sites by getting a higher perspective.

I just want to make sure I have a correct list of components required. I have listed them below from top to bottom.
1. Quick Mount Mini Adapter System
2. Ultimate R1/R10 Pole Adapter Kit. Is this required with #1?
3. Pole Series 1 Upper Unit. Picked for the shortest collapsed length.
4. Pole Series 1 External Level
5. Pole Rotator (6 stop)
6. Pole Foot Plate
7. Pole Series 1/2 Lower base Cap. If I do not want to use the foot plate and rotator.
8. Pole Series 1 Case

Am I missing anything essential or are there any other recommended accessories?

ok for 3 and 4. For 5 you can also your R-D4 upside down at bottom of pole if you want more flexibility. Just be careful with use of R-D4 at bottom of pole as it can catch a lot of dust and crap (use the silicon plugs on all empty holes of the R-D4

Originally Posted by KevinM

6. Pole Foot Plate
7. Pole Series 1/2 Lower base Cap. If I do not want to use the foot plate and rotator.
8. Pole Series 1 Case

one base cap is included with the pole :)
You get everything you need for start, eventually tripod adapter to be able to use pole hands free might be interesting ;)

The part of the wetlands we work in range from moist to waist deep water. Dust will not be an issue but water and decaying vegetation will be. See the attached panorama from last fall, the weather turned bad so I very quickly took my picutres. How hard is it to disasemble a pole rotator to clean it out?

If I purchased a Quick Mount Mini Adapter Plate would it go on my RD4 to switch the R10 back and forth?

If I would be you, I'd go for Pole 2 Series lower unit. Of course collapsed it is 26cm longer than Pole 1 series upper unit. But it is more stiff, better for stronger winds and a little bit heavier cameras like D300.

To carry it around in the case, you won't feel it is a little bit longer. By design of the case, only a small part of the pole is higher than your shoulder. Same with Pole 1 case or Pole 2 case. Most of the pole case hangs down to your legs. So it will be a bit longer below your knee with Pole 2 compared to Pole 1. Of course in this case you have to change the case and the leveller to Pole 2 series.

QM Mini System is the only thing you need. It offers you the ability, to take off the assembled camera - R10 unit in total very quick. This is more safe than taking the lens ring out of the R10 clamp and much quicker. Plus you lens ring can stay in NPP inside the clamp. So in case you change your site, take the top off the pole via QMM to be safe with the most expensive part of your set up, change place and re mount via QMM. No need to reset NPP position on R10.

I am used to the whole pole system. That's why I ask you to think again about the unit you like to buy.

Yes you can use the QMM plate on top of RD4. But you have to fix the QMM clamp to your R10. So you need the QMM system.

The biggest problem is whatever rotator you use to use it in water. The pole rotators are sealed against dust. But of course there is a small gap between upper and lower part to be able to turn it around. They are not designed to use them in water and there is no way to take them apart to clean them to be prepared for the next site.

The only way I see to solve your problem is to use the pole rotator above the water. So you could use an aluminum tube in the water, which has a plate on top to connect your rotator with the tube. I have to think about a good solution for you, not so easy to solve. I'll check it with the equipment for you tomorrow. Either Pole Rotator or RD4.

hum I always strongly discourage use of pole when there is wind, whatever it's quiet wind, as you can never know if you won't get suddenly strong wind, and it can become very dangerous and out of control very quickly
just my two cents advice ;)

Thanks for the photos showing how the QMM fits together. I have a lens ring for my R10.

Some of the places I will be going are only accessible by small plane to the closest hamlet then continue by boat or helicopter to the site. Shorter is a big advantage when packing with all our other equipment.

I would be cautious about control in the wind. The camera would have a nice soft landing, in the water :(.

In the past I have put my tripod on the equipment we are installing which is above water, you can see my camera bag hanging on it in the picture above. My other idea would be a cup on my belt to rotate the pole in while keeping my feet in place. I don't know how well joining a metal tube to the bottom of the pole would handle the torque between the two sections.

If I would be you, I'd go for Pole 2 Series lower unit. Of course collapsed it is 26cm longer than Pole 1 series upper unit. But it is more stiff, better for stronger winds and a little bit heavier cameras like D300.

Heinz,

What do you think contirbutes the most to the lower pole 2 being stiffer? Is it larger diameter, thicker tubes, or less sections? Could I regain some stiffness at the cost of height by not extending one of the sections?

Pole 2 series lower unit is designed to serve as base for upper units to be placed on top up to 6m poles. The tubes are larger in diameter and the connection of the segments are bigger inside and outside compared to upper pole units.

Of course you get more stiffness by not extending all segments. I always start to raise the next segment to the bottom one with the rest collapsed inside because of stiffness. I use the top segment at last.

Being a Hobie Cat Sailor and having been gliding I have learned at lot about the influence and the force of wind. On the ground, wind is stopped by houses, trees etc. On the water where you took your picture, the strength of wind is much higher than in the shadow of the trees in the back. Plus even on a 6 or 8m mast of a boat the form of the sail has to be changed from bottom to top because the wind is quicker and stronger on top of the mast than at the bottom being stopped by the boat itself.

With all the energy, cost and time you have to spend sometimes to get to your sight, I would try to stay on the safe side of life. It is not that easy to shoot a pole pano "free hand". You have to train a lot. Two hands on your pole, remote in one hand as well, then control your leveler and shoot when the bubble is centered. Tricky enough when the pole is standing on the ground.

I believe it is not possible using a "belt cup" to place the pole into it. You won't have power to control the pole besides even leveling. This has been discussed a lot of times for journalism when you do not have time nor the place to use a tripod for example.

The question of torque to the connection with a lower water resistant segment below pole and rotator is not a relevant point as long as it is not fixed to the ground and the whole system can swing around. Power of weight goes straight down to the bottom of the system, no chance for sideways torque or stress to the connection to break it. So a water resistant pole below rotator with Fanotec pole on top might be the solution.

I'll try to send some more info for you this evening.

Heinz

May be you send you email address via IM to discuss your very special problem.